web design skills

Required web design skills

[evo81]

Hey people,

I've learnt html, css, xml.

Can anyone give me advice on other web design languages / skills I should try to learn that are a must or very useful in this industry

Thanks in advance :)

[txbakers]

any one of the server side languages would be useful too.

If you want to get a job in the corporate world I'd say Java or C# or VB with ASP or JSP technologies.

If you want to be a hobbyist or work for a small firm I'd say PhP.

[trillianjedi]

I agree with the PHP recommendation. It's also useful to have a basic working knowledge of a graphics application, for topping/tailing and optimising (for size) images.

TJ

[evo81]

Thanks for the advice

I have come across php a few times, so I guess that would be the next target.

Yeh, I forgot to mention I've got photoshop, although I'm still a beginner.

Thanks again.

[webtress]

I've got photoshop, although I'm still a beginner

A good place to tune your skills and learn some new ones <snip>

[edited by: trillianjedi at 3:47 pm (utc) on Mar. 20, 2006]
[edit reason] No URL drops please - see TOS #13. Thanks :) [/edit]

[evo81]

Thanks, I'll check it out.

Regarding php, can anyone recommend some books aimed at someone learning from scratch?

Thanks in advance

[limbo]

evo81

Not books - but there are some excellent tutorials right here

Check out the PHP forum library [webmasterworld.com].

We're all beginners with Photoshop, 8 years of daily use and I only know a fraction... :)

[Marcia]

Also, learn the basics of Apache servers, particularly how to use .htaccess

[evo81]

Thanks for your help

[andye]

Perl also worth thinking about.

[tomda]

And if you have time to kill, learn Flash or any sotfware-to-make-funny-animated-things.

As said above, go for PHP with basic knowledge of MySQL and Apache.

[etechsupport]

You can also include Ajax it permits the development process more interactive applications featuring more responsive user interfaces.

[evo81]

Well, thats quite a list that has been submitted lol. I think I will start with php.

Ive found that photoshop is quite good for animation.

Thanks to everyone who has posted.

[Moosetick]

PHP's main website has great documentation about the language. I'd start with it before buying a book. It could keep you busy for years.

[Harry]

I'll be a contrarian again, sorry.

All those things you think you need to know are not necessary. I get by with HTML, CSS and Flash. There's no point stuffing your brain. What is important is to understand the process and being able to recruit others far more specialized than you to carry out the job. If you seek a technical Web design job, than ok go ahead and learn all this stuff.

But I don't need to know the intricacies of PHP or Perl to know which to use for a given project. Many students coming out of school in Web design don't know all this stuff either. In fact many pros don't. They adapt to every project and only learn what they need to. The practical experience of knowing how to deliver a project is more important to me, than knowing specific languages. There's just too much to absorb, and life is too short.

[Rosalind]

To an extent I agree with Harry, you don't have to learn all of this stuff. But if you are looking for something else to learn next in order to improve your skills, you first need to decide which direction you are going to go in.

If you're visually inclined, then learn more Photoshop, Flash, and perhaps even try some 3D applications.

Otherwise choose between open-source and corporate programming, and learn some of the languages already mentioned. The important thing is not to try to do it all, but to specialise. Getting an in-depth knowledge of any of these things can take months or even years, so it's important not to spread yourself too thinly.

[evo81]

Thanks for the advice, some wise words were spoken.

I think you are right, specialization is the key. Decide the destination and learn the skills. Funnily enough, I was having this same conversation with my dad and you have repeated his words.

Although, it's also handy to have a basic understanding of these other languages

Thanks again

[evo81]

Hello people,

Regarding the languages that have been listed in this thread; php, java, sql, asp, ajax, can people post what these languages can do? I have no clue. Also, are there any drawbacks for each one i.e support, security etc

Any help much appreciated

Thanks in advance